Indian Culture vs. American Culture

Indian Culture

Indian culture is much different from American. The two have different religions, beliefs, rituals, foods, language, and even clothes. India is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. These are all considered Indian religions (Dharmic religions). Today, Hinduism and Buddhism are the world's third and fourth-largest religions, with over 2 billion followers total. For years, India has had a tradition of the joint family system where extended members of a family all live together. Usually, the oldest male in the family is the head of the family. He makes all important decisions and rules, and everyone else has to follow. Indian food is very diverse. Indians use numerous ingredients, a wide range of food preparation styles, cooking techniques and presentation. According to my friend Swetha, her families favorite spice is curry because it goes well in almost anything. In public and religious places, Indians looks down upon the exposure of skin and wearing tight clothes. Indians wear bright colors usually made from cotton which is ideal for the hot climate. During festivals and ceremony's, many of the clothes are decorated with gold or silver ornaments and pretty, elaborate stitchings.

Photo of my friend Swetha in her traditional Indian wear.
Photo taken by Antisdel's Photography

This is a picture of a traditional Indian meal. Photo taken off of Google.

American Culture

In America, the prominent religions are Christianity and Catholicism. Most of the religions in America are similar only with slight differences in belief. Throughout the years, obtaining a nuclear family (two married adults with biological children) is becoming less and less common. In American society it is becoming more and more common for married couples to get divorced. Other changes that have come to be in America throughout the years are dual-income households. The women of the house are starting to earn the same amount and sometimes more then the man in the house in comparison to about 50 years ago when the man always supported their wives. American cuisine is even more diverse then Indian cuisine. There are many immigrants from many different countries living in America and they all bring their own countries food. There is Chinese, German, Italian, Cajun, Greek, Mexican, and many more. There are dishes though that are classified as American foods. These include apple pie, fried chicken, French fries, hamburgers, pizza, barbeque, and hot dogs. American apparel is hard to pinpoint. Aside from professional business attire, fashion in the United States is mainly informal except for special events such as a dance or a wedding. It seems as though generation by generation there are different fashion booms. There is a distinct change in apparel from each generation from about the 40s up until now. Things such as cowboy boots, leather jackets, and blue jeans though are examples of the few things that stuck around throughout all the generations.

Hamburgers and fries are a prime example of traditional American cuisine. Photo taken off of Googe.

Cowboy boots and cowboy hats are something that have been around for decades. Photo takem from Google.